Jade

[southerly]

That is a very nice water worn pebble of NZ pounamu (nephrite jade), it is almost the colour the Maori call inanga after the colour of whitebait fish and is highly desirable. The Maori believe that pounamu finds its owner not the other way around so that pebble chose your friend to be it's guardian for the time being.

I would be inclined to leave it as it is and use another piece of NZ jade for the rings. In the photo there is a big fracture you will have to work around, it also suggests this pebble is quite laminar which means it can be difficult to cut as it will tend to split along a particular plane and the main axis of the ring will need to be cut at an angle off this plane to reduce problems in cutting and polishing.

There is a NZ carver who grinds and matt polishes one edge of these beach pebbles to make ripi (knives) that look quite good. I have also seen a simple hole drilled in smaller ones and worn as pendants. Lovely find.

David

[Giel]

Thank you very much for the expert advice!

The Maori believe that pounamu finds its owner not the other way around so that pebble chose your friend to be it's guardian for the time being.

  That is exactly how my friend felt about finding the stone, she told me it chose her somehow....

I will leave it as is for now, dunno if I can talk her out of cutting the stone.... she told me already many years ago, when she just found it, that she wants me to cut it one day.

once again, thanx for the advice!

[Jamesallen]

I like the images shared here, I am researcher, also working as a student, even I also love traveling also.

[greenlegend]

WOW! That green just opens up my soul!!!!!! Where can i buy that?

[colza]

Nice to see some old posts you've missed get revived every now and then. That was a lovely piece of natural jade which you probably won't buy but may be lucky to find if you hit the NZ beaches greenlegend. Much more fun than ebay methinks.

Cheers,
colza